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There were plenty of stand-out performances on the first day of the 2012 Craven Week tournament, held at the Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth this year, but none more so than the KZN schools team’s 48-24 demolition of Free State.

The boys in black and white laid down a strong marker in thrashing a side that is typically well-nigh unstoppable at schoolboy rugby level, given the traditional strength of Grey College Bloemfontein, which typically supplies all but a handful of the Free State Craven Week team. Justin Moberly and his KZN team, though, paid scant regard to reputation as they ran in seven tries, to the three of their opponents.

It was the two lock forwards who got the ball rolling, with Dan du Preez (son of Sharks scrumhalf Robert) who crossed the line in the third minute, followed in the fifth by Moberly himself. Fullback Jesse Kriel from Maritzburg College, arguably the best individual player on the day across all of the teams, crossed for the third, before Michaelhouse’s flying winger Bruce Arnott scored a quick-fire brace to put the result beyond doubt before the first half had ended. School team mate and flyhalf Rob Anderson kicked all but one of the conversions and added a penalty for good measure to see his side take a 36-3 lead into the break.

The second half was a far more even affair, with left wing Cornelis Vermaak and Kriel again crossing for tries, while Free State came back to score three of their own (two in the closing minutes by which stage the game was well and truly lost).

KZN will now face the Lions on Wednesday and should they be able to replicate this sort of form, should be a shoe-in to contest the main game on Saturday – the unofficial “final” of the Craven Week tournament. What they have shown, though, is that there is again this year a very special crop of schoolboy talent emerging in the province and the Sharks, if they haven’t already done so, would do well to ensure they retain the bulk of this side in the junior structures next year. Strong rumours that the side’s best player, Jesse Kriel, has already committed to joining the Bulls does tend to take the gloss off the victory to an extent, but we’re hopeful there could still be an opportunity for the Sharks to change his mind.

45 Comments

Lets hope its similat to ungerers situation with the bulls and they end up at our academy instead. Well done to the kzn boys and lets hope straulli and co sign the best

Comment 1, posted at 10.07.12 08:21:35 by RuckingFun

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@RuckingFun (Comment 1) : ja, cos the way we conducted the Ungerer deal won us LOADS of new friends

NOT!

At least according to the new regs, the Sharks need to be given the opportunity to counter the Bulls’ offer. Let’s hope that all of the blue cash has already been blown on Pollard and that our offer stacks up well.

Comment 2, posted at 10.07.12 08:30:56 by robdylan

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@robdylan (Comment 2) : Bulls will be praying that Pollard does not get injured, ’cause it seems as though they went all-in on his deal.

Comment 3, posted at 10.07.12 08:39:51 by FireTheLooser

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Don’t follow schoolboy rugby too closely, so perhaps I’ve missed something, but where is the other Kriel, I think it’s Daniel. Is he injured or wasn’t he selected? From what I’ve seen of him he also looks a good prospect.

Comment 4, posted at 10.07.12 09:49:03 by 13

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Excellent performance – well done to Barend and the team. Great team performance with no weak links. Loosies were outstanding and the 9 & 10 got the backs away nicely. The only area that wasn’t dominant was the front row.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : this performance has probably spoilt Strauli’s week given his infatuation with all things Grey.;-)

Comment 5, posted at 10.07.12 09:56:44 by steve

@13 (Comment 4) : he broke his shoulder, the poor kid. A very good prospect indeed.

Comment 6, posted at 10.07.12 10:05:50 by robdylan

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@robdylan (Comment 6) : Poor guy. Let’s hope he can recover quickly. At least he’s still young so time is on his side.

Comment 7, posted at 10.07.12 10:56:58 by 13

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@13 (Comment 7) : let’s hope we manage to talk both him and his brother out of going to Pretoria next year… I’m told they’re a package deal

Comment 8, posted at 10.07.12 11:00:24 by robdylan

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@robdylan (Comment 8) : I am in fact a Lions supporter, so as long as they stay in this country, and don’t try and make their fortunes overseas I’m not too fussed as to where they play.

Comment 9, posted at 10.07.12 11:34:55 by 13

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@robdylan (Comment 10) : You know what they say, the first step is to admit you have a problem.

Comment 11, posted at 10.07.12 12:22:32 by 13

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Well done lads!

Comment 12, posted at 10.07.12 12:52:50 by Ben

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Well done lads, hopefully shut a few bloggers on other sites claiming KZN schools rugby is weak. For me personally it’s great to see 7 Glenwood boys in the 22, Swart, Nqxabi, Van Aardt, Mkhabela, Marwana, Vermaak and Coulsen. Mostly bench players but still a good achievement. A pity Daniel Kriel got injured as I think he is actually better than Jesse, not as quick but bigger and stronger. I am hoping KZN get a few in the SA schools team announced later this year, hopefuls being the Doop brothers, Moberly, Swart, Wright and Kriel. I believe Swart has signed for the Bulls for 2013, following in Shaun Adendorff, Jacques Taylor, Ferdi Horn and Dean Moolman steps. A real pity for KZN rugby

Comment 13, posted at 10.07.12 20:16:34 by Grasshopper

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@Grasshopper (Comment 13) : and so have the Kriel twins,if the talk is to be believed.

Comment 14, posted at 10.07.12 20:20:07 by robdylan

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@Robdylan, also Reegan Smith the College No8 who did not make KZN but probably should have.

Comment 15, posted at 10.07.12 20:48:48 by Grasshopper

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KZN vs Golden Lions just kicked off.

Comment 16, posted at 11.07.12 15:39:06 by Ben

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Thought I just saw da team alberts was at lock

Comment 37, posted at 11.07.12 18:13:57 by RuckingFun

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I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder. But as the comments above imply, posts on other websites suggest the team for this Saturday has been announced. There are a few ‘unusual’ selections. When do we get to discuss them?

Comment 38, posted at 11.07.12 18:47:18 by siorc

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@siorc (Comment 38) : Not on the Sharks site, and they’re normally first…

Comment 39, posted at 11.07.12 19:16:54 by FireTheLooser

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@siorc (Comment 38) : which website? The side definitely hasn’t been released – at least, not according to the Sharks official website

Comment 40, posted at 11.07.12 19:18:46 by robdylan

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With Plum, you can’t ever forget the 48hr rule. That’s the only constant in Sharks rugby that we can be sure of.

Comment 41, posted at 11.07.12 19:20:59 by FireTheLooser

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